Developed skills and lines of research
Paolo Visca is a Full Professor of General Microbiology for the Degree Course in Biological Sciences at the Faculty of Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences of Roma Tre University (Rome). In 1980 he graduated in Biological Sciences from the University of Rome with 110/110 cum laude: in 1985 he obtained a specialization in Microbiology and Virology from La Sapienza University of Rome with 70/70 cum laude and in 1988 a PhD in Experimental Medical Microbiology from the University of Pisa (dissertation on “Iron transport in microorganisms and antimicrobial activity of iron-binding proteins”). The main scientific research lines developed include: genetic improvement of microorganisms of biotechnological interest; analysis of genetic determinants of antibiotic resistance of pathogenic bacteria and evolution of resistance plasmids; role of iron in modulating the interactions between microorganisms and higher organisms; biosynthesis, transport and gene regulation of Pseudomonas siderophores; innovative methods for the identification and typing of opportunistic pathogenic bacteria and development of molecular procedures for the diagnosis and epidemiology of bacterial and fungal infections. He is the author of over 140 international publications or monographs.
Projects funded by FFC Ricerca as Principal Investigator or as Research Manager
FFC#19/2019
Gallium as an antibacterial agent in cystic fibrosis: animal studies for the delivery of inhalable formulations to the clinic
FFC#18/2017
Exploiting the potential of gallium for the treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa pulmonary infection
FFC#21/2015
Exploiting the potential of gallium for the treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa pulmonary infection
FFC#14/2010
Non-conventional strategies against Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection: interference with iron homeostasis and quorum sensing
FFC#10/2007
Iron uptake and quorum sensing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulencee
Projects financed by FFC Ricerca as a partner
FFC#8/2008
Development and validation of a novel screening system for the identification of Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence inhibitor
Publications from FFC Research projects
Gaines JM, Carty NL, Tiburzi F, et al. Regulation of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa toxA, regA and ptxR genes by the iron-starvation sigma factor PvdS under reduced levels of oxygen. Microbiology, 2007 Dec;153(Pt 12):4219-33.
Imperi F, Putignani L, Tiburzi F, et al. Membrane-association determinants of the omega-amino acid monooxygenase PvdA, a pyoverdine biosynthetic enzyme from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Microbiology, 2008 Sep;154(Pt 9):2804-13. doi: 10.1099/mic.0.2008/018804-0.
Tiburzi F, Imperi F, Visca P. Intracellular levels and activity of PvdS, the major iron starvation sigma factor of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Mol Microbiol, 2008 Jan;67(1):213-27. Epub 2007 Nov 27.
Tiburzi F, Imperi F, Visca P. Is the host heme incorporated in microbial heme-proteins? IUBMB Life, 2009 Jan;61(1):80-3. doi: 10.1002/iub.123.
Imperi F, Ciccosanti F, Visca P, et al. Analysis of the periplasmic proteome of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a metabolically versatile opportunistic pathogen. Proteomics, 2009 Apr;9(7):1901-15. doi: 10.1002/pmic.200800618.
Frangipani E, Bonchi C, Minandri F, et al. Pyochelin potentiates the inhibitory activity of gallium on Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 2014 Sep;58(9):5572-5. doi: 10.1128/AAC.03154-14. Epub 2014 Jun 23.
Bonchi C, Imperi F, Minandri F, et al. Repurposing of gallium-based drugs for antibacterial therapy. Biofactors, 2014 May-Jun;40(3):303-12. doi: 10.1002/biof.1159. Epub 2014 Feb 14.
Minandri F, Bonchi C, Frangipani E, et al. Promises and failures of gallium as an antibacterial agent. Future Microbiol, 2014;9(3):379-97. doi: 10.2217/fmb.14.3.
Pasqua M, Visaggio D, Lo Sciuto A et al. Ferric Uptake Regulator Fur Is Conditionally Essential in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J Bacteriol. 2017 Oct 17;199(22). pii: e00472-17. doi: 10.1128/JB.00472-17. Print 2017 Nov 15.
Hijazi S, Visca P, Frangipani E. Gallium-Protoporphyrin IX Inhibits Pseudomonas aeruginosa Growth by Targeting Cytochromes. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2017 Jan 26;7:12. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00012. eCollection 2017.
Porcaro F, Bonchi C, Ugolini A et al. Understanding the biomimetic properties of gallium in Pseudomonas aeruginosa: an XAS and XPS study. Dalton Trans. 2017 May 30;46(21):7082-7091. doi: 10.1039/c7dt00651a.
Hijazi S, Visaggio D, Pirolo M, et al. Antimicrobial Activity of Gallium Compounds on ESKAPE Pathogens. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2018 Sep 10;8:316. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2018.00316. eCollection 2018.
Paolo Visca, Francesco Peri, Raffaella Sorrentino. Exploiting the potential of gallium for the treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa pulmonary infection. The Proceedings of the 16th Italian Convention of Investigators in Cystic Fibrosis. Multidisciplinary Respiratory Medicine, 2019, 14 (Suppl 1):5